So I was released late Tuesday. I developed 2 different kinds of bacteria over the last little while. They know the kind, but don't know the source or where it could be resting. They assume "resting" cause I will have the bacteria grow, go on antibiotics, and it will be gone. A week after I'm off the antibiotics, it's back.
They are going to treat me with 6 weeks of IV (portable) antibiotics this time..... I'm telling ya, the fanny pack is back baby......Let's hope they finally kill it. They can't narrow down the type of antibiotics because again, they don't know where it is. They are again assuming a worst case scenario, that the bacteria bug is resting on a valve on my heart. That would be bad.
Well see how it goes over the next few weeks. They also found out that I have mild or early development of crohn's disease. It could have started with the chemo and all the drugs, but we're not sure. Something else they get to screw around with. Love being the lab rat. Good time's.....

the luxurious TGH suite

Blog soon,

vic

As singer David Coverdale (of 80’s hair band Whitesnake) once said, “ Here I Go Again”…… just Colleen ain’t rolling around half naked on our Honda Civic, a la Tawny Kitaen on a corvette. Least I don't think so.

Well I’m back in the hospital. On Friday I went for a follow up from my time spent in Markham Hospital. They took blood again and that nasty bacteria that I’ve had before was back again. So they sent me to emerg in Markham to do a couple more tests. Once completed, I was allowed to go home.

I got the call on Saturday afternoon and was asked to go to emerg at Toronto General because it was growing again. Apparently, it grew really fast, and that’s bad. So I’ve been in since trying to get this figured out. Doctors here are awesome. Doing a whole bunch of tests again. I wish I could blog as things happen. I have time in between, but can’t log on to my blog site. The network here blocks it out. Apparently you can surf for all the porn you want but I can’t access my blog. LOL.

Once the news starts coming in I will post it.

Blog soon,

vic

It's been one week now since I had my last dose of meds. I was out of the hospital the Thursday before. I was in for one week for the same thing again. This time they found no blood infection. My white blood cells spiked at 76. The last time it was that high was just before I started chemo. Chemo has been put off till the beginning of April. My doc wants to wait till this craziness ends. Thursday past and nothing happened. I feel ok so far. I really hope nothing happens in the next couple of days. I had appointments everyday last week. Spent more on gas and parking than EI pays...LOL. They took blood on Friday. Got a call on Saturday from a doc saying that the culture has grown but they don't know what kind it is. Asked if I'm feeling ok and if anything changes to go to emerg. So as I mentioned, so far so good.
Hope it stays that way.
blog soon
vic

FUCK!!.........It happened again. All the same. Fever, shakes and sweats. Just got home from the hospital. Spent another week in my favorite hotel. I will fill you in later.

So I did get out late on Monday. Nice to be home. My portable meds were dropped off around 10:30 and the nurse showed up at 11 to hook me up. I have to wear the portable IV thingy till Tuesday. My arm is still killing me from all the IV's and blood draws. It wouldn't be fun unless they missed a couple of veins so my arm could swell up. Went for another blood test on Friday for the infection. Should find out in a couple of days if it's getting better. Saw my oncologist on Wed. blood tests are about the same. Haven't gotten all the results back from the biopsy's done when I had my colonoscopy. I see that doctor early in March. With everything that's happened my oncologist has put me off till at least my next visit with him, March 7th. On March 8th I will start my next part of chemo. It's a maintenance drug that will be done by IV once every 3 months for the next 2 years. This should keep my levels the same for a while and keep the lymphoma in check.

Funny story from the week in MSH (Markham Stouffville Hospital) emergency.  After one night in emerg, we were moved up to a room on the 3rd floor. We sure didn't miss the crazies running around in the middle of the night looking for the next fix. Even though I am covered for a semi private room we found ourselves in a private room. Great, but no bed for Colleen this time. More on that story later.....
Once we were settled, we were visited by Trish, Paula and Diana. We sat and chatted for a while. With the noise in the hall getting louder we closed one of the two doors I had (two doors??? for a hospital room??? keep reading)  About a half hour after we closed the door, my MALE night nurse came in to hook me up and get my vitals. Just before he came in, we all noticed he was in the room between my 2 doors getting dressed into some kinda smock with mask and gloves. When he finally came in, he lost his ever loving mind. "I'm in QUARANTINE!!!!!!" What are we doing in here without gowns and masks...." ARE WE NUTS"?????!!!! NO FOOD in the room is allowed out or it will be thrown out. So much for the swiss chalet from Colleen B. As he rushed everyone out, other than myself, to get their gear on. Trish and Paula left. They had bee there for a while now and thought it was a good time to get going. Diana stuck around and came back in with Colleen all dressed up ready to protect them from me or me from them. We're really not sure. After a long discussion, we didn't really care. Diana eventually left as did Colleen. Every nurse (mostly my MALE nurse) that came in after that was wearing 'the gear'. Not til the next day when the day shift cam in that we figured everything out.

Someone left the sign on the door (that we closed) from the person before me. They were under quarantine. To all my friends who came to visit and everyone in emerg. I'm not contagious, I am fine. Somewhat, anyway.

me in emerg

Di and Col in 'their gear'

blog soon, vic

Haven’t blogged in a long time, but now is as good as any. Sit back and enjoy the extended version.

As you know my chemo finished early in Dec. I felt good for a couple of weeks but then early in Jan. I had some weird episode. I was at work  (Thurs.) when all of a sudden I got really cold (but it wasn’t) and started shaking uncontrollably.  Colleen had to pick me up (with the help of Claus) and put me straight to bed. Cranked the electric blanket, took a bunch of advil and slept for the next 12-15 hrs. Once the fever broke I had a wicked headache I couldn’t shake for 2 days. I was very weak and tired.

Probably should have gone to the doctor but didn’t. Was back at work Monday and all was ok till Thurs. – again -  one week to the day, it happened again. All the same; cold, shakes, sweats, bed warmth, headache, weak, tired. Stupid me didn’t go to the doctor and was back at work Monday again.

You won’t believe what happened next. I’ll skip to the 4^th episode cause the 3^rd was the same as the first two. After the 3^rd I stayed home Monday to recoup. I made it through the week and thought I was home free until Sat. when the shakes happened again. I feel so bad that it happened when I was at Myah’s hockey practice and she had to see me shake as we headed home. So this time Colleen made an appointment with my family doctor for Monday. She spoke to my oncologist and they suggested I see him to rule out any infection and begin to explore what was going on…and would later see if it had to do with my lymphoma.  First things first…

Saw my doc, he did a full physical and took a bunch of blood. I felt fine as I usually do on Monday, but he said he would call if they found anything in my blood. While we waited for the blood culture to grow my doc called Monday night and said that my white blood cells were very high. On Jan. 7^th it was 11 and now it’s 52. Normal is between 9-12. Not sure what to make of it, we wait. On Tuesday I was at work and my doc called and told me to go to PMH emergency asap. “they will be better equipped to handle me.”  Knowing that PMH doesn’t have an emergency, I called my oncologist to see if I should go to Toronto Western or Toronto General. He said just go to the nearest emerg ASAP!!!!

Freaking out I drove to Markham Stouffville where Colleen met me in emerg. As it turns out, my blood came back and it started growing a bacteria. If left too long (remember I’ve stupidly have had it for 4 weeks now) you can get very sick and, well, you know. So we spent 2 nights in emerg in our own little suite. We were then moved to a room up stairs. The whole time I had to keep leaving the room to go and do tests. I’ve done more tests in the last 5 days than I’ve done in the last 2 years. CT scan of my abdomen and head.….Nothing. Colleen could have told them that. Ultrasound of my liver and heart, full body bone scan, another ultrasound of my liver, Nothing so far.  Blood work daily.  That’s a good sign but they need to find out where the infection is hiding.

It’s the weekend and I’m still here. I’m leaving Monday morning at 6am for Southlake Hospital (Newmarket) for my final test. It’s another test on my heart, forgot what it’s called but they go down my throat to get a closer look. They are trying to see if the infection has rested on any of the valves…….That would be bad.

Came back from the test, and all is good. Wasn’t the best test I had but also wasn’t the worst. So, looks like I will be getting out tonight. I will have my final dose of meds (that I’ve been getting every 4 hrs) at 6pm. Wait till it’s in and get discharged. I will keep doing the meds over the next 2 weeks with a portable IV, again every 4 hours. I will see my oncologist on Wed. for the usual blood test and meet. Should be interesting to see what he says about this whole thing.

Thanks for all the love, prayers and help for Colleen, the kids and myself. It sure made this difficult time a lot easier.

Although, a scary time tons of funny stories from the last week. I will post snippets later.

(view from the patient transport to Southlake)

blog soon

vic

CHEMO DAY #8 (the last one???)


So chemo day #8 has come and gone. Nothing exciting to say other than it was the last one, for now. Everything went well. Got in, hooked up and got out. I love the groggy, dazed fellin'. It's good to let go and just go with it. The prednisone sure does wonders on me. Like Dr. Bruce Banner (aka hulk) always says " Don't make me angry, you won't like it when I get angry"...LOL... And boy can I pack away the food being on the meds. Thank god christmas is coming cause I don't think we have enough food around the house....
Not sure when I will blog again. It's a bit of a wait now. I have a CT scan booked over the holidays, a GI appointment in the new year. When all that's done I see my doc. From what I understand now is that I'm not in remission cause I still produce bad cells. I will go on a maintenance drug once every 3 months for 2 years, as long as my levels stay the same. Not sure if and when I would have to start chemo again. But it's a possibility. Have to wait till the new year.

When you go the chemo ward, you see all kind of people. All in different stages of therapy. It can be very sad in some ways. Like myself, some people are so ordinary they look like they are only stopping by to visit someone else. There is a nothing wrong with me kind of swagger. Then we get hooked up and we look so different. Some are there who really need help. For those of you who are not just visiting; Have faith in your doctors and believe that things will change. You will feel better and get over this little bump before you. I would never compare myself to anyone else with this kind of disease other than to swap war stories. I had a tough time but managed to overcome this with a lot help and support from friends and family. Without Colleen and the kids not sure what could have been. We all have it in us to beat and triumph any obstacles out before us. But I am different....
I am superman....

and my supergirl

blog soon...